81R4007 TRH-D
By: Kleinschmidt H.B. No. 1840
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the establishment of an interagency farm-to-school
coordination task force.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 12, Agriculture Code, is amended by
adding Section 12.0026 to read as follows:
Sec. 12.0026. INTERAGENCY FARM-TO-SCHOOL COORDINATION TASK
FORCE. (a) To promote a healthy diet for schoolchildren and the
business of small to mid-sized local farms and ranches, the
interagency farm-to-school coordination task force shall develop a
plan to facilitate the availability of locally grown food products
in public schools.
(b) The task force is composed of:
(1) a representative of:
(A) the department, appointed by the
commissioner;
(B) the Texas Education Agency, appointed by the
commissioner of education; and
(C) the Department of State Health Services,
appointed by the commissioner of that department; and
(2) at least one representative of each of the
following groups, appointed by the commissioner:
(A) fruit and vegetable producer organizations;
(B) school food service organizations;
(C) food distribution businesses;
(D) child nutrition and advocacy organizations;
(E) parent organizations;
(F) educational institutions that conduct
research in the areas of agriculture and nutrition; and
(G) health nutrition educators who serve school
districts.
(c) A member of the task force serves at the will of the
official who appointed the member.
(d) The representative of the department serves as
presiding officer. The task force may elect other necessary
officers from its members.
(e) The task force shall meet at the call of the presiding
officer.
(f) The agency whose commissioner appoints a member is
responsible for the expenses of a member's service on the task
force. A member of the task force is not entitled to additional
compensation for serving on the task force.
(g) Each appropriate agency or group represented on the task
force shall provide the personnel and resources necessary to
implement a task force measure under this section.
(h) Subject to available funding, the task force shall:
(1) design education resources on nutrition and food
education to be used by schools and school districts;
(2) expand food-focused experiential education
programs;
(3) create a grant program funded by the department
that allows schools and school districts to recover the costs
associated with purchasing locally grown food products;
(4) develop a database of available locally grown food
products for use by school food service agencies that includes
contact and purchasing information for the products;
(5) design and implement training programs to enable
local farmers and ranchers to market their products to schools and
school districts, including programs related to:
(A) crop production;
(B) marketing of crops;
(C) postharvest handling of crops;
(D) food safety;
(E) business management;
(F) liability and risk management; and
(G) other topics deemed appropriate by the task
force;
(6) advise schools and school districts on methods by
which a school or school district may improve its facilities to
allow for the use of minimally processed, fresh, and locally
produced foods in school meals;
(7) provide technical assistance to school food
service agencies to establish procedures, recipes, menu rotations,
and other internal processes that accommodate the use of locally
grown foods in public schools;
(8) offer advanced skills development training to
school food service employees regarding the proper methods of
handling, preparing, and serving locally grown foods; and
(9) conduct any other activity considered by the task
force as necessary to achieve its goals under this section.
(i) The task force may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and
donations from public and private entities to use for the purposes
of this section.
SECTION 2. (a) Not later than December 1, 2009, the
Department of Agriculture shall establish the interagency
farm-to-school coordination task force as required by Section
12.0026, Agriculture Code, as added by this Act.
(b) Not later than February 1, 2010, the commissioners of
the Department of Agriculture, the Texas Education Agency, and the
Department of State Health Services shall appoint members of the
interagency farm-to-school coordination task force, as required by
Section 12.0026, Agriculture Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.